Extra-special win: Conant prevails in 12
Conant looked as if it was in for a long day when it gave up 5 runs in the top of the first inning to visiting Maine West on Tuesday.
About 41/2 hours later, the Cougars (2-0) scored twice in the bottom of the 12th inning to pull out a 7-6 nonconference baseball victory.
James Hafer bounced a single to center with one out and Conor Donohue came around from second and scored when the throw from Tommy Ross was in time but bobbled.
"I said, 'We have to take a chance,'" said Conant coach Jerry Song with a laugh. "I said, 'We can't be waiting here anymore.'"
Nate Anderson pitched the 12th for the victory but juniors Mike Taccona and Mike Passaro saved the Cougars by combining for 10 shutout innings of relief. Taccona went the first three before leaving with back trouble and Passaro had 11 strikeouts in seven innings.
"He was lights out today," Song said. "His changeup was working awesome. They're an agressive-hitting team and they came out swinging the sticks and looking fastball.
"He had a lot of movement and he was locating real well. I kept asking him how he felt and he said, 'Coach, I feel awesome.'"
Conant won its second straight 1-run game after beating Crystal Lake South 5-4 on Monday. It scored a run in the first and tied it with a 4-run third as Joe Belmonte drove in 3 runs and Kyle Gizynski had 2 RBI.
Arnold Galindo and Mike Farias each had a double and 2 RBI for Maine West (1-1).
Palatine 5, CL South 4 (8 inn.): After a relatively uneventful 7 innings and the game tied at 1-1, things got wild at Palatine in nonconference play.
The Gators' Josh Wruck had a run-scoring double as Crystal Lake South scored three times to seemingly take command in the top of the eighth.
Then, in the bottom half, the first three Pirates walked. An infield error allowed the first Palatine run to score. With one out and the bases still loaded, No. 9 hitter Joe Campe hit a comebacker to reliever Easton Kowalski. He threw to the plate for one out, but the ensuing throw from CL South's catcher to first base in an attempt to retire Campe was errant, allowing 2 more runs and sending Campe to third. He then scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
"Pretty unusual to score 4 runs with having the ball leave the infield, and without getting a hit," said Palatine coach Paul Belo, whose team improved to 2-1. "But we hit the ball pretty sharply and had some very good at-bats earlier in the game."
Tommy Galvan started for Palatine and allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run in 5 innings. Joe Walsh (1-0) picked up the victory with 3 innings or relief.
The Pirates scored once in the sixth after a Byron Skinner double, a Jimmy Smearman sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.
Barrington 4, Vernon Hills 2: Sean Buchholz went three innings for the nonconference win for visiting Barrington (2-1). Chris Rogers followed with solid relief into the seventh and Robby McDonnell came in with a man on and no outs to get the save.
Jim Cook was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Devin Gallagher and Jake Broughton had RBI singles for the Broncos.
Cary-Grove 2, Prospect 1 (8 inn.): Scott Plaza, Jack Mullenix and Steve Dazzo combined to stifle last year's Class 4A fourth-place team but host Prospect hitters had 14 strikeouts - four called with runners in scoring position in its opener.
"Our pitching was outstanding and they were around plate all day," Prospect coach Ross Giusti said. "For us it was a game of missed opportunities. Cary-Grove is certainly a good ballclub and it's a good test right out of the gate."
Plaza went the first four innings and Mullenix went the next three.
Hersey 12, Springfield 2 (5 inn.): Leadoff man Alex Lee set the tone with a single to kick off a 7-run first for Hersey as it started its three-game central Illinois trip. Lee went 3-for-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBI.
Chris Polinski (3 RBI), Jay Livesay (2 RBI) and Jake Knauss each went 2-for-3. Steve Danielak took a 2-hit shutout into the fifth and finished with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk.